Will County officer on leave after fatally hitting Joliet man

A Will County Sheriff’s deputy has been placed on administrative leave after fatally striking a pedestrian while driving a squad car near Joliet last week.

The deputy, who has been on the force for about five years, is not being identified and he has not been charged with anything as of Sunday, according to Will County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer. He has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation and is still receiving a paycheck, Hoffmeyer said.

The deputy was on patrol and was southbound on Briggs Street near Elgin Avenue about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday when he struck Andrew L. May, who was walking in the street about four or five feet from the curb, said Hoffmeyer.

May, 30, of Joliet, was pronounced dead at 3:19 p.m. Saturday at Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet, where he was taken after the crash according to the Will County Coroner's office. He'd been on a ventilator since the crash, according to Hoffmeyer.

It was not clear immediately why the deputy did not see the man, she said. The deputy was not injured in the crash, she said. Authorities were interviewing the deputy on Thursday and Friday, according to Hoffmeyer.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday to determine the cause and manner of May's death, according to the coroner's office.